


Meet Me At The Dance (Please, Won’t You?)

by castronomicaaal



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Coming Out, M/M, Pre-Relationship, Valentine's Day, Valentine's Day Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-14
Updated: 2020-02-14
Packaged: 2021-02-22 14:28:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,029
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22717501
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/castronomicaaal/pseuds/castronomicaaal
Summary: Popular Peter asking shy Tony to be his date to the Valentine's Day dance.
Relationships: Peter Parker/Tony Stark
Comments: 4
Kudos: 133
Collections: Starker Hugs & Kisses 2020





	Meet Me At The Dance (Please, Won’t You?)

**Author's Note:**

> This is for the 2020 Starker Valentine's Exchange! Happy Valentine's Day, @silkystark! And a MAJOR shout out to the real MVP, @whenfandomscollide (Lou) for being my beta-half. Hee.

Peter Parker doesn’t get nervous – not during freshman year baseball tryouts, not during the SAT’s he took in eleventh grade, not even when he cut his hand open last semester in shop class.

No. He’s generally more relaxed and upbeat; keeping things positive with a cool demeanor. 

But this?

This is a totally different ball game.

Peter’s palms are sweaty, his brow creased, and his heartbeat thrums within his chest a mile a minute. He wants to do this, he really does. He wants to be brave and go for the thing that his heart desires most, but there are so many probable outcomes that turn his stomach into knots simply by the thought.

Peter has been popular for most of his life. He never strives towards it; it just always seems to fall into his lap. His popularity really cemented itself when he became the youngest freshman starting pitcher on the baseball team in the school’s history.

Things have been on the up and up ever since.

And it’s not like he hates the attention. In fact, he quite likes it. It makes him feel good to know that he’s well liked and well received.

Which is one of the reasons why he’s so damn scared right now.

If he does this, admits his feelings out loud for the first time, will everything change? Will he become the laughingstock of the school? Will his friends abandon him?

Or…will it all work out the way his heart so desperately hopes?

The second reason Peter is so scared is because of Tony Stark.

Tony is the opposite of Peter, well, mostly. They’re both smart. But Tony hasn’t had the same luck in life, being too shy to go out for sports or do anything more than science club, which isn’t quite as lucrative to popularity as baseball.

The thing is, Peter likes Tony. Likes, likes him. In the way one would want to hold hands with somebody or talk for hours on the phone or kiss them in the middle of the school hallway.

The catch? Nobody knows Peter is gay.

Peter’s liked boys for as long as he can remember, always preferring the male form to female. It wasn’t until last year that he finally admitted as much to himself. And now he wants to admit it to Tony, and by doing so, admit it out loud to the whole damn school in the process.

If Peter asks Tony to be his Valentine’s Dance date like he wants to, everyone will know. They’ll see them together at the dance; assuming Tony even says yes.

There are so many variables to consider.

Peter wants to chicken out, but he refuses to allow himself to do so. He needs to do this; he wants to do this. He doesn’t want to be that boy. The boy who hides in the shadows and lies about himself to those he loves. Not anymore.

Peter stands up wordlessly from the lunch table, swiping his shaking hands over his jean-clad thighs in order to remove the built up sweat, and begins to walk towards the far end of the lunchroom.

Two of his table mates, Natasha and Clint, follow his gaze as he leaves, curious as to his sudden departure.

A few friends wave their hello’s as he passes by, one of his fellow baseball players throws him a peace sign, as well. Peter waves and smiles in return, though it doesn’t quite meet his eyes. He is far too preoccupied by thoughts of Tony.

He passes by a big red banner on his way to the table, with glitter all over it accompanied by pink hearts and the words ‘Will You Be My Valentine?’ Peter breathes out heavily, swiping a hand through his hair. He hopes Tony will.

Tony is seated with his best friend Rhodey, and a few other random students are scattered nearby. He has his head in a science book, no doubt reading for pleasure rather than work. Peter smiles softly. He thinks it’s cute that Tony is so into science.

Tony has a shirt on that reads ‘I make terrible science puns, but only periodically’. Peter can’t help but snort softly because it’s just so Tony, it’s perfect. That and his signature glasses make up one Tony Stark.

Peter stands in front of the table, pushing his hands into his letterman jacket pockets. Tony continues to read and Rhodey is preoccupied by whatever music he’s listening to on his phone.

When a few moments pass and Tony has yet to look up, Peter coughs slightly, uncomfortably. Tony pauses reading and his eyes cast upwards past the edge of the book. His brow creases curiously when he spots Peter standing before him.

Tony and Peter do not talk often, only in chemistry where they’ve been assigned as lab partners. It’s how Peter developed a crush on the boy to begin with. And even still, they don’t talk much about personal things, just assignments and occasionally one of Tony’s science books.

Peter swallows down the lump in his throat. “Hey, Tony.” He waves lamely.

“Hi, Peter, what’s up?” Tony wonders, placing his book on the table. Rhodey is too busy listening to his music to bother turning toward the conversation, so they have relative privacy.

Peter actually blushes lightly, embarrassed and nervous and overwhelmed all at once. He rubs at the nape of his neck awkwardly before sighing. “I wanted to ask you something.”

Tony nods. “Is this about the chemistry homework? I had a –”

“– no, it’s not, actually.” Peter interrupts, shaking his head. Tony raises an inquisitive brow.

“Oh, okay. Well, what can I do for you?” he asks. Tony fidgets absentmindedly with the cover of his book while he speaks.

Peter sighs deeply, squeezing both eyes shut before reopening them and breathing out a long stream of air. “I was just wondering if you’d be interested in going to the Valentine’s Dance with me?”

Tony doesn’t respond for a good minute or two, just sits there with his wide dark brown eyes cast upon Peter’s own pleading orbs. The silence is deafening.

“Is this…” Tony shakes his head, biting at his lower lip uncomfortably. “If this is some sort of prank, I never took you for the type.”

Peter blanches. “No! Oh, my god, no, Tony. Not at all. I, uh,” he pauses, looking away. Tears begin to well in his eyes and Peter feels as though he’s messed everything up somehow. “I just really like you,” he whispers.

“You do?” Tony still sounds skeptical, but less so. His voice is much softer, more careful. “Why me? You’re like, the most popular boy in school.”

Peter works up the nerve to look Tony back in the eyes. “You’re funny and smart. And cute. And I like that you like science.” Peter wipes at both eyes, blinking back his emotions. He doesn’t want to ruin things more by crying in front of the boy.

Tony licks at his lips, taking in Peter’s words. Peter can practically see the gears turning inside his head. Eventually, his eyes soften and a light blush colors his cheeks pink. “You really mean that?”

Peter nods rapidly, his smile returning. Maybe things aren’t ruined after all. “Of course, I mean that.”

Tony grins gently while fidgeting with his hands. “Half of the cafeteria is watching you right now.” He tells Peter.

Peter doesn’t bother to turn and look, simply shrugging instead. “I only care about your gaze right now.”

“I’m a little nervous,” Tony admits. “I want to say yes, but I’ve never been to a dance before. No one’s ever asked and I’ve always been too shy to go on my own. And with all of these people eyeing us simply because you’re talking to me…what will they think when they see us at the dance together?”

Peter takes the initiative and sits down in the chair across from Tony. Slowly and cautiously, he reaches out to rub his thumb across Tony’s hand briefly. Tony’s blush darkens, but he doesn’t pull away. “I’m nervous too,” he admits.

Tony looks genuinely surprised. “You are?”

Peter nods. “I’m not…I’ve never said this out loud before, Tony. I’m gay. I’ve never been to a dance with a boy. Let alone a boy I really like. But I’m not worried about what others have to say about it, just you. I think you should say yes, and we will go there hand in hand and be nervous together.”

The edges of Tony’s lips quirk upwards into a small smile. “I think I can try?”

Peter grins wide and it looks as though the sun is shining from his lips. “That’s good enough for me.”

“Are you two lovebirds done yet?” Rhodey questions suddenly, pulling out his earbuds. Both Tony and Peter turn to look at the boy curiously. Peter bites his lip nervously.

“How much did you hear?” Tony asks.

Rhodey shrugs, tossing his earbuds back into his brown canvas bag. “Enough to know you’ve got a date. Good for you, Tony.” Tony blushes but accepts Rhodey’s clap on the back nonetheless.

“Thanks Rhodey.” Tony supplies.

Rhodey shrugs. “What are friends for?” He then turns towards Peter, both eyes squinting seriously. “If you so much as hurt a hair on his head…”

Peter holds up both hands, shaking them in the air. “I promise, I promise. I’ll take good care of him, Rhodey. I swear it.”

Rhodey goes back to smiling and shuffles around in his seat. “Good. Now I’m going to head to the library. You two take care.”

The twosome watches as Rhodey stands up and places his bag over his shoulder before departing the lunchroom. Peter turns back to Tony when he’s gone, grinning from ear to ear. “That went better than expected.”

Tony shrugs casually. “Rhodey is a good guy. Let’s just hope your friends are as welcoming.” He bites his lip, unsure, and Peter frowns.

“They’re good people, too.” He points out. “Sure, they can be loud and a nuisance, but they care about my well-being.”

This causes Tony to nod. “If you say so, I believe you.” He tells Peter sincerely. “So, about this date…”

Peter smirks. “What about it?”

“I was thinking, in the ‘80s movies I like, the girl always buys the guy a flower for his tux. I thought maybe we could each buy for each other?” Tony wonders, his eyes clouding over a bit as he gets lost in memories of those very movies. Peter thinks maybe Tony’s been living vicariously through them for some time now.

“Of course,” he promises Tony. “Maybe blue and gold, to match the school colors?”

Tony nods, grinning wide. “I like that, Peter. I like…” he pauses, swallowing thickly. “I like you. Too, I mean. Just so you know.”

Peter’s nose scrunches up nervously but happily at the sentiment. “You mean it?”

Tony shakes his head yes. “Absolutely. I was thrilled when Dr. Banner assigned us as lab partners. You’re a really cool guy. I used to idolize you our freshman year. You were everything I wished I could be but was too scared to. Now, I just really, really like you as a person.”

“You’re so sweet Tony.” Peter smiles genuinely. “I feel the same. I want to get to know all there is about you.”

Tony blushes, turning away. “I don’t know if I am that interesting,” he self-deprecates, to which Peter frowns.

“You’re more than you give yourself credit for.” He tells him honestly. “Plus,” he teases afterwards, “you like baseball, so you can’t be all bad.”

Tony snorts. “I actually hate baseball,” he admits.

Peter looks bewildered. “You come to almost every home game.”

“Gee, I wonder why…” Tony blushes scarlet. Peter pieces it together and blushes himself.

“Really, just for me?” He questions, to which Tony nods.

Peter grins widely, proudly. “That means a lot to me, Tony.”

They sit together for the remainder of lunch period, talking and laughing. Their ankles brush beneath the table every so often and Peter decides right away that he likes the feeling of Tony’s warmth against his own.


End file.
